Machine for distributing fertilizer material and the like



n- 1952 M. E. LEHMAN 2,581,263

MACHINE FOR DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZER MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MAURICE ELEHMAN ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 MACHINE FOR DIST Filed Sept. 26, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 N S T H T M N N H R E E 0 vi T m m a W 19 z: I m M l hm mm 2: mm mm w hm 0v mm. M Nm FNI)? W 7 mm MN mm mm 0N N9 E \F. F .m. l 9 oI- o a r E mm m n on: 0m Vmv .mm 0 mm mm NQ J g S Na 5 RT mm Q 3 m2 m9 m: om mm mg m@ a 50mm mv u m4 m 3 mw vw mm mm 3 N mm @v E 9 R 2 E o: 9 v: m: mv

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M. E. LEHMAN MACHINE FOR DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZER MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 26, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 MAURIQE E. LEH MAN ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 M. E. LEHMAN MACHINE FOR D RIBUTING FERTIL MATERIAL AND THE LIKE IST Filed Sept. 26, 1947 CD r.

INVENTOR MAURICE ELEHMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 1, 1 952 MACHINE FOR DIST MATERIAL RIBUTING FERTILIZER AND THE LIKE Maurice E. Lehman, Harrisonburg, Va. Application September 26, 1947, Serial No. 776,334 4 Claims. (01. 275 s .My invention relates to agricultural machinery and has particular reference to a machine for distributing or spreading manure, chemical fertilizer, lime, or thelike.

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above mentioned character which is particularly well adapted for handling manure, for dividing the same and distributing the divided product. I

' A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above mentioned character which discharges fertilizer at its side with respect to its direction of travel. A further object of the invention is to provide a. machine of the above mentioned character havingloading means arranged at its rear end, with respect to its direction of travel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above mentioned character which is designed to be connected with a tractor, to be moved longitudinallytby the tractor and have its operating parts driven from the power take-01f of the tractor.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the distributing mechanism and the loading means may be connected with and disconnected from the source of power.

A further object of the invention is to provide caster wheels for supporting the frame of the machine so that the frameof the machine may be rigidly attached to the chassis f the tractor and willretain a fixed relation with respect to the same.

A'further object of the invention is to provide, long and short distributor paddles, whereby the fertilizer will be distributed over a wide strip in a uniform manner.

I A further object of the invention is to provide means'for effecting a step by step movement of the main feed belt, which means is power driven from thetractor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forminga part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout same,

.. Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodyingmy invention,

, Figure2 is a front end elevation looking to the rear,

Figure 3v is a side elevation of the machine, viewed from'the side remote from the distributing mechanism.

Figure 4 is arear end elevation of the ma chine,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section-taken on line 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, a

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of gearing.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectiontaken on line 1'! of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on line 88 of Figure 6, showing he brake mechanism,

Figure 9 is a plan view rpf pawl and ratchet mechanism, and associated elements,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of same,

Figure 11 is .a plan view of an adjustable bearing for the main endless belt,

Figure 12 is a side elevation of same, parts broken away,

Figure 13 is a detailed section through the brakeband of Figure 16,

Figure 14 is a detailed section through the lever 9801 Figure 10,'and

Figure 15 is a planview of the main frame. My machine embodies a main horizontal frame I5, Figures 1 and l5, including forward and rear transverse end bars I6 and I1, and side bars-I8 The numeral designates a draw bar rigidly attached to the bars I6 and I! and secured to diagonals ZI, the rear endsof which are secured to inner longitudinal bars v22. These bars 22 are rigidly secured to the transverse bars I6 and The draw bar 20 projects beyond the frame lfifor connection with the draw bar of the trace tor. The frame I5 may also be provided with diagonal braces 22' secured to the bar I6 and attached to the draw bar 20. The draw bar 20 is rigidly attached tothe frame of the tractor, with or without additional braces, whereby these two frames retain relative fixed positions during travel.

At the rear of the frame I5 is a caster wheel 23, having a swiveled connection with the bar I8. A caster wheel 24 also is arranged at the a brace 26, attached to the end portion of the transverse bar I1. The transverse bars I6 and I I extend outwardly beyond the longitudinal bars arranged forwardly of and near the frame I5, adjacent to the right end of the bar I6. This caster wheel has a swiveledconnection with a bracket 28, rigidly secured to the bar I 6, as shown.

These several caster wheels serve to support the frame l5, during its travel, to permit the frame to follow the frame of the tractor and retain a fixed relation thereto.

The frame l5 carries a box or body 29, rigidly mounted thereon, including a bottom 30, a front end 3!, and a rear end 32. The top of this rear end 32 is flared rearwardly, Figure 3. The box further comprises a right open side or opening 33 and a left side 34. The numeral 35" designates an endless belt, including a pair of sprocket chains 35, connected by transverse angle irons 35, having webs which project upwardly above the bottom 30. The top run of the endless belt travels above the bottom 30, as shown. The sprocket chains 35 engage sprocket wheels 31, Figures 2 and 5, rigidly mounted upon a transverse shaft 38, journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame l5. The sprocket chains 35 also engage sprocket wheels 33, rigidly mounted upon a shaft 40, mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame IS. The endless belt serves to intermittently feed the material to the beater and distributor mechanism, as will be explained. Particular attention is called to the fact that the endless belt travels transversely of the direction of travel of the entire machine.

' Arranged at the rear of the transverse bar ll, Figures 1, 3, and 15, is a scoop 4!, of any wellknown or preferred type, by vertically swinging arms 42, rigidly secured thereto, and these arms are hinged at 43, to the transverse bars 22, whereby the scoop may be swung in a vertical plane. When the scoop is in the lowermost position, its bottom will rest upon the ground, and when the machine is backed the scoop will be forced into the manure pile or the like, and filled. The scoop is then swung to a raised position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, and will dump the manure into the box 29.

The end 34 of the box, Figure 5, is closed except for an opening at its bottom for the passage of the endlessconveyor. The opposite end 33 of the box is' entirely open and the endless conveyor extends outwardly beyond for a short distance, as shown. The bottom 33 has openings 44 for receiving the sprocket wheels 39. A supporting framework 45 is provided adjacent to the open side 33 and is rigidly mounted upon the box 29- and the outer ends of the bars l6 and N. This framework includes upper inclined bars 45, lower generally horizontal bars 41, and diagonals 48 and 49. A lower rotary beater 50 is provided, including radial pins 5|. This rotary beater is mounted upon a shaft 52, journaled in suitable bearings carried by the diagonals 48. The pins 5! of the beater 53 travel close to sprocket wheels 33 and the discharge end of the endless belt 35, so that there is little tendency for the manure, before being divided or beaten, to drop from the endless belt before being taken up by the beater. The beater 53 rotates clockwise, Figure 5, and the manure is taken up by it and passes over this beater and is then thrown from the outer side of the beater. Arranged near the top of the open side 33 is an upper rotary beater 53, Figures 1, 2, and 5, having radial pins 54. This beater 53 is mounted upon a shaft 55, journaled in bearings carried by the inclined bars 45. Beater 53 turns clockwise, Figure 5. When the level of the manure within the box 29 rises sufficiently, the manure is brought into contact with the upper beater 53, and some of the manure is taken up by this upper beater and travels over the same and this scoop is carried and is thrown out from the upper beater upon the lower beater, where it is subjected to a second dividing or beating action, to be thrown outwardly by the lower beater. The beaters 5n and 53 serve to separate or divide the manure, which ordinarily is held together in mats or lumps, to a considerable extent. The numeral 56 designates a rotary distributor, including paddles or blades 51 and 58. These paddles are fiat and are not spiral. The blades 51 are longer than the blades 58. The blades 51 and 58 are rigidly mounted upon a rotary shaft 59, journaled in suitable bearings secured to the bars 41. The blades form a plurality of distributing elements, and the blades in each distributing element are spaced 90 degrees, although this arrangement may be varied. A strap 50 is secured to each blade and is rigidly attached to the shaft 59. This strap is bent so that the blades are offset with respect to the shaft. This enables the blades to have an increased action to throw the manure generally horizontally and outwardly, and reduces the tend encyto throw the manure upwardly. The distributor 56 is rotating clockwise in Figure .5, but is rotated faster than the beater 59. The beater 50 throws the divided manure upon the distributor 58, and this distributor throws the same upon the ground. Since the blades 51 are longer than the blades 58, they will throw the manure a greater distance, whereby the outer portion of the distributed manure upon the ground will be thicker than the inner portion next to the machine. The shorter blades 58 do not throw the manure as far as the long blades and distribute the same upon the near portion next to the machine. The long and short blades co-act to produce a continuous strip of distributed manure which is substantially uniform in thickness throughout its width. As the machine travels longitudinally, this strip of distributed manure is produced extending longitudinally of the travel of v the machine and parallel therewith.

The shaft 59 has a small sprocket wheel it, Figure 4, rigidly mounted thereon, engaged by a sprocket chain 62, engaging a large. sprocket wheel 63, mounted upon the shaft 52. The rotary distributor 55 thereby receives its rotation from the beater 50 and rotates in the same direction,

but at a higher speed.

Arranged outwardly of and near the front end 3| is a horizontal transverse shaft 64, journaled in bearings 65, Figures 1 and 2, secured to posts 65. As more clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and '7, the shaft 54 has a bevel gear 61, rigidly mounted thereon. This bevel gear 61 is in permanent mesh with a bevel gear 68. This bevel gear 68 is rotatable upon a stub-shaft 69, journaled in bearings 10 and H, but cannot move longitudinally upon this stub-shaft. The bevel gear 58 has a clutch element 12 for co-action with the clutch element formed upon one end of a clutch head 13, mounted upon the shaft 63, to move longitudinally thereofand to turn therewith. The opposite end of the clutohphead 13 has a clutch element for co-action with the clutch element 14 formed upon a sprocket wheel 15, rotatable upon the stub-shaft '69, but not move: able longitudinally thereof. The clutch head I3 is shifted in either direction by a lever 16, pivoted at H. The lever I5 is swung by, a-link l8 and any suitable means may be employed to hold the link in the adjusted position. It is thus seen that the clutch head, when in the central position, will disengage both clutch elements, but the clutch head may be shifted in opposite direc-r 'I'he' sprocket wheel BI ,tions to" alternately-lock the" bevel gear: 68 and the sprocket wheel 15.11pm the: shaft 69,- for. rotation therewith. .Aisprocketwhe'el 19' is'rigidly mountedupon. the-outer end Of the stub-shaft .69,- and engages a downwardly extending sprocket chain 80, engaging a sprocket wheel 8|, Figure 2. is. rigidly mounted upon a shaft 82, and this shaft is suitably. mounted upon vertical uprights 83. The. shaft 82 is connected with the power take-off shaft-of the tractor. The sprocket" wheel I5 is engagedby the sprocket-chain 84, seemore particularly Figure .2. The upper run ofathisisprocket chain passes over a: sprocket wheel 85, rigidly mountedupon the shaft-550i the upper beater. also-passes about a sprocket mounted upon the shaft 52, of

This. upper run wheel 86, rigidly the lower beater '50. This sprocket chain thenpasses aboutalargesprocket wheel 8.1, Figure 2, tightener 88, and returns to the sprocket wheel '15; It is thus seenthat the sprocketwheel 15, through the medium of its sprocket chain, drives the upper and lower heaters in the same direction. The large sprocket wheel 81 is carried bye.

and an idler "or horizontal shaft 89 suitably mounted upon the frame I5. Mounted upon the inner side of the sprocket wheel 81 is a 3-point cam; 90, rotating therewith. Thiscam is arranged to engage with a roller 9| carried bya lever 92, including sides 93. This lever is pivoted: upon the shaft 40, to swing vertically. The lever has a dog 94 pivoted thereto and engaging .a gear 'wheel- 95, rigidly mounted upon the shaft 48. Back turning movement of the gear'95 :isprevented by adog 96, as shown. The lever. has its endremote from the roller 9| swung upwardly: by a spring; 91. A depending arm 98 is rigidly secured to the lever: 92 andhas a pin 99 rigidly secured thereto. This pin has an opening for receiving a rod I00 having: ahead-or nut IIII. pressible coil spring I02 engaging-a washer I 03 loose on the rod, and a' collar I 84 clamped to the rod. The rod I80 is pivotally connected with a hand lever I95, Figure 2, having latch means 101 for-.coeaction the lever I05 is swung to the right,.Figure .2., the bar 98 is swung upwardly and the lever 92 is swung in a vertical plane so that the roller 9| maybe moved out of the, path of travel of the points of the cam the lower position, Figure 10,. the points ofdthe cam 90 intermittently raise and lower 'thesam'e, and they lever 92 will. intermittently vturn-the gear 95. This. gear is turning counterclockwise,

Figure 2, and the intermittent turning movement of=the gear. 95, effects the step-by step travel of the'endless conveyor, so that the bars'SBafeed the manuretoward the heaters. It is thu'sfseen that Joy-manipulating the lever I05, the: endless conveyor 35 may be rendered active or inactive.

Spools or drums I09 are rigidly mounted upon the shaft 64, near its ends, Figure 2, and have cables I I! wound thereon, Figures 2 and -3,=which are passed about pulleys I I I, carried by posts 66. The cables 0 are passed about upper pulleys |I3, secured to posts H4, and the cables IIO are attached to the sides of the scoop 4|. It is thus seen that by rotating the shaft 64, the cables I I0 may be wound or unwound upon or from the drums I09, for raising 6r lowering the scoop. 4|.

A brake device is provided to hold the shaft 64 against rotation, as well as the scoop 4| when in raised position. This brake device, Figure 8, includes a brake drum H5, rigidly mounted upon the shaft 64. This brake drum co-acts wit'h'a The rod carries a comwith a quadrant I08. when 90. When the lever92 is'in brake band IIB, one end of which has a head I'I'I provided with an opening I18, slldably receiving a rod II9 carrying a nut I20. "The opposite end of the rod I I'B-has ahead I2I, pivoted upon a fixed support orv bar 122. -A compressible coil spring I23 surrounds the rod I I S and engagesth'e head Ill. A link l23 is pivoted toa head "I24, secured to the opposite end'of the brake'band I I5, and this link has a pivotal connection with a hand lever I25. The hand-lever I25'is pivoted to the bar I22, at I 28, and'carriesa dog I21 toengage teeth I28. When the lever I 25 is thrown counterclockwise, Figured, the brake band |I8wil1 hold the brake *drum against turning movement; and the dog I27 may then engage the teeth I28.

The operation of the machine is as-iollowsi When the box 29 is to be loaded with' manure, the lever I6 is operated to render both bevel gear 68 and sprocket wheel15 idle.- "I'he--scoop*-4'I maynow be in the'lower position, Figure '3; and the tractor and the machine are backed whereby the scoop 4| is pushed into the pile'of'manure andis filled. The -lever I8 isnow operated to lock bevel'gear68 to the shaft 69 so' that shaft 64is rotated. The cableslle are now wound upon the drums I09 and" the scoop is elevated, Figure 3, so that the manure is fed into thebo'x 29. This operation may be repeatedany numher of times, as desired. Iffdesired, thebrake devicemay be employed to "hold the shaft" 64 against turning movement by manipulating hand lever 125, the lever l6 being then actuated to unblock" bevel gear 88 from the shaft 69. j With the box suitably fill-led with the manure; the clutch I3 is 'shiftedinj the: opposite direction"for lockingsprocket 'wheel I5 to the shaft 69; The rotation for the shaft 69 is derivedfromthefpower take-off unit of thetractor," which is controlled by the usualclutchon the tractortf hs the tractor is now driven forwardly,thesprocket wheel 15 is rotated and the sprocket chain" 84 is traveling in the direction of'the arrow, Figure 2." The endless conveyor,'including the'bars136, is fed intermittently to; advance the manure-to the open side 33 ofthe box29," Figure 5. fThe manure is fed to the lower'beat'er '50, andto' the upper beater 53, if the level ofth'e, same issuificiently high. The lower beaterdividesor breaks up the manure and throws jit forwardly toand upon the paddles of the rotary distributor 56, The manure engagedby' the upper beater" 53 travels over the same andis divided and broken up by it, and. discharged upon the lower beater, which again. acts upon the manure and throws it. outwardly. The .manure'fro'm the beater. or heaters is thrown to the. paddles "57' and; 58 .of the rotary distributor. The'longer paddles jthrow themanure-for the greater .distance, and'fithe shorter paddles throwQthe -same for a lesserfdise tance. The long paddles do. not fdis'tr'ibu'teithe manure to anyconsiderable extent nexttolthe rotary distributor, and the short paddlesdis tribute themanure next to the rotarydistributor. The two sets of pagzldlesv thereforeco-act pO 'PIQ- duce a strip of the distributed manure which is substantially uniform in thickness throughout its machine is driven forwardly, a long.

ment of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims. Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A machine for spreading material, comprising a wheeled frame, a draft appliance secured to the forward end of the wheeled frame to connect it with a tractor so that the wheeled frame is moved longitudinally by the tractor, a box mounted upon the wheeled frame and having a discharge opening adjacent to one side of the wheeled frame, a conveyor to feed the material toward the discharge opening, means to operate the conveyor including a shaft and a gear wheel mounted upon the shaft, the shaft extending longitudinally of the frame, said gear wheel being arranged near the forward endof said frame, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends upon the shaft to swing vertically, a spring to move the lever in one direction, a pawl pivoted to the lever to engage the gear wheel, a second shaft mounted upon the frame and extending longitudinally thereof, a sprocket wheel mounted upon the second shaft and disposed forwardly of the frame, a cam rotating with the sprocket wheel to engage the lever, a rotary beating and spreading mechanism mounted upon the wheeled frame upon that side thereof near the discharge opening, said mechanism including sprocket wheels having their axes of rotation extending longitudinally of said frame and arranged near the forward end of the same, a longitudinal shaft mounted upon the frame at its forward end, a sprocket wheel mounted upon the longitudinal shaft, and a sprocket chain passing about the sprocket wheels of the longitudinal shaft and the beating and spreading mechanism and passing over and engaging the sprocket wheel which moves the cam.

2. A machine for spreading fertilizer material, comprising a wheeled frame, a box mounted upon the wheeled frame and having a discharge opening, a rotary beater mounted upon the wheeled frame near the discharge opening, a rotary distributor mounted upon the wheeled frame outwardly of and near the rotary beater, said rotary distributor including rotary elements in cluding flat straight paddles having their faces parallel with the axis of rotation of the distributor, the paddles of some of the rotary elements being longer than the paddles of the other rotary elements, and drive means to rotate the beater and rotary distributor.

3. A machine for spreading fertilizer material, comprising a wheeled frame, a box mounted upon the wheeled frame and having a discharge opening, a rotary distributor mounted upon the wheeled frame outwardly of and near the dis.- charge opening and having its axis of rotation extending longitudinally of said frame, said rotary distributor including rotary elements including flat straight paddles having their faces parallel with the axis of rotation of the distributor, the paddles of some of the rotary elements being longer than the paddles of the other rotary elements,

means to feed the material from the opening of the box to the distributor, and drive means to rotate the distributor.

4. A machine for spreading material, comprising a wheeled frame, a draft appliance secured to the forward end of the wheeled frame to connect it with a tractor, a box mounted upon the wheeled frame and having a discharge opening adjacent to one side of the wheeled frame, a conveyor to feed the material toward the discharge opening, means to operate the conveyor including a shaft extending longitudinally of the wheeled frame and having its forward end extending forwardly beyond such frame, a gear wheel mounted upon the forward end of said shaft, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends upon said shaft adjacent to the gear wheel to swing vertically. a spring to 'move the lever in one direction, a pall pivoted to the lever to engage the gear wheel, a'second shaft mounted upon the frame and extending longitudinally thereof and projecting forwardly beyond the frame, a sprocket wheel mounted upon the second shaft and disposed forwardly of the frame, a cam connected with the sprocket wheel to retate therewith and arranged to engage the lever, spreading mechanism mounted upon the wheeled frame upon that side thereof near the discharge opening, said spreading mechanism including a sprocket wheel arranged forwardly of said frame and having its axis of rotation extending longitudinally of the frame, a longitudinal shaft mounted upon the frame at the forward end of the frame, a sprocket wheel mounted upon the longitudinal shaft, a sprocket chain passing about the sprocket wheels of the longitudinal shaft and the spreading mechanism and passing over and engaging the sprocket wheel connected with the cam, and yielding means connected with the lever to swing the same in one direction out of the path of travel of the cam.

MAURICE E. LEHMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

